ARCHIVE: McFarlane Toys Motley Crue Figures

Article originally published 08/30/2005 at figures.com

You remember these guys from the late ‘80’s & early ‘90’s, right? Big hair, big sound, bigger egos. What drummer Tommy Lee began a few years ago with his experimentation in low-budget film-making has grown into something that many wouldn’t have predicted a decade ago – the return of the legendary band Motley Crue!

Sixteen years have passed since Motley Crue released their multi-platinum album ‘Dr. Feelgood’ and now they're back – not only on stage, but on your toy shelf as well!Thanks to McFarlane Toys, who had supplied the world’s music fans with a variety of figures, including The Beatles, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Jerry Garcia, Angus Young, and more, Motley Crue joins the ranks of bands and musical artists that have been immortalized in plastic...

PACKAGING
Last year, McFarlane Toys released these same figures as a boxed set, allowing die-hard fans the chance to purchase the entire band in one shot. However, fans of particular members now have the chance to get only the ones they want thanks to the new, individually packed band members.The long-used clear clamshell packaging allows MIB collectors to display these figures in pristine carded condition and protects the figure extremely well. All four packages allow for the figure and their instruments to be fully visible and each includes a piece of Tommy Lee’s massive drum set as well.

SCULPT AND CHARACTER LIKENESS
These are literally rock stars and I simply love how close the figures look to their hard-rockin’, real-world counterparts. From Tommy Lee’s fishnet shirt to the buckles and laces on Vince Neil’s boots, each figure has been meticulously sculpted to include even the smallest details. McFarlane Toys has based this series on the group’s 1983 ‘Shout at the Devil’ tour and these figures are the spitting image of the group at that time. Though they look fine displayed individually, one really needs to have the entire band together to experience the full metal effect that is Motley Crue!

PAINT AND COLOR
The paint application and colors on the Motley Crue figures are truly something special. This is easily one of the cleanest paint jobs I have seen on a McFarlane figure in some time. Every detail is accounted for and each figure exudes its own style and personality. Tattoos, face paint, silver rivets, bandannas, chains, and armpit hair have all been included to add realism; and the colors on every figure are vibrant and unique. Being the group’s lead singer, Vince Neil (above) naturally sports the most flamboyant colors; his red bandannas, chaps and webbing provide a nice contrast to the darker black & blue attire worn by the rest of the group.

ACCESSORIES
What would a band be without instruments?Even if you’re not a Motley Crue fan, the onslaught of instruments included with these figures is worth the cost of the figures alone! As mentioned above, each figure includes a piece of Tommy Lee’s full drum kit along with their own respective instrument. The only problem setting up the drum kit was the lack of reference photos. Though this does encourage more ‘creative’ ways to setup the set, getting it as close to real-life as possible will be, for many fans, the main goal.

Other accessories include a drum stool for Tommy Lee (which fits his bum nicely). The other figures include black plastic bases with peg-holes. Both Nikki Sixx’s and Mick Mars’ guitars feature pegs which help keep them attached to the figure as well. A warning however - lots of instruments means lots of little parts, so be careful unpacking the figures and their accessories and don’t lose or break anything.

ARTICULATION
Honestly, these figures don’t have articulation. If you are looking for poseability, you’re going to be disappointed. What little articulation does exists allows each to be only slightly adjusted and reposed. Again, vets of McFarlane collecting will realize the emphasis on realism and not movement.

VALUE AND OVERALL IMPRESSION
C’mon, what do you think? I absolutely love these toys! The only downside I can see to this set is that there isn’t much point to owning the figures separately. Though you may be a fan of only one band member in particular; if you’re going to buy one, you might as well buy all four! The McFarlane Toys’ Motley Crue figures are available at your local specialty store for around $12.00 each.So is it worth the $45.00+ investment to have the whole band? Absolutely! Heck, Tommy Lee’s elaborate drum kit is worth $30 alone in my book! Hopefully, McFarlane will continue with even more modern music figures in the future. With Metallica and now Motley Crue under their belt, can a series of Guns N’ Roses be far behind?